Dead or Surviving
by kammad42
Summary: A Bethyl story. What would happen if Beth was actually taken by Joe's group and Daryl found her with them, as a prisoner. How would they escape? Would Daryl protect her, or would he turn into one of them? Rated T for violence.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Beth awoke with a stinging pain go across her cheek. "Rise and shine, girly." Her eyes widened as she looked around to see her surroundings. She was in a warehouse, lying on a concrete floor. The windows in the brick building were barred up with wooden planks. Another blow landed on the blonde's cheek.

Beth hissed in pain as she tried to stand, but her ankle disagreed with her. It was never fully healed back at the funeral home, where she had gotten kidnapped and taken away from Daryl. Daryl. Beth wondered where he was and if he was safe as she scooted away from the man with a gray beard and gray hair hanging down past his cheeks.

He had a smile on his face that horrified her to the highest level there could be as he stalked towards her, slowly creeping up on her. Beth noticed that there were other men around; one with long, black hair with a compound bow, one overweight, and the last with a bandanna around his head with a baseball bat in his hands. And Beth was completely defenseless.

The scratches on her cheek were bearable, Beth decided. The kick that the man delivered to her gut was not. She fell against the wall and clutched her stomach as her mouth opened in a silent scream of pain. The man chuckled as if he thought it was funny.

"Joe." A man called from the back. The other one- Joe- looked back. "What, Len?" The one with the compound bow- Len, apparently- stepped forward. "When's it my turn?" He had a southern drawl to his voice like Joe did. Beth froze and her blood went ice cold. They were taking _turns_? Why did they even take me, anyway, Beth wondered.

"Later." Joe said. "I wanna talk to the girl. Leave." All of the men went out the door except for the one named Len. Joe looked back at him again. "Leave!" Hesitantly, Len stepped out the door. When all of the other men were gone, Joe turned back to Beth. He stood and dragged his feet around the room as he paced back and forth in front of her.

"So... Blondie... I guess yer wonderin' why yer here." He told her. She stayed sitting back against the wall, looking for anything she could use to get free, When she turned up empty, her glare went in the direction of the older man. She didn't answer him. Joe shrugged at the small girl. "Yer vulnerable. Simply that."

A shudder ran down Beth's spine. She didn't want to know what the group was going to do to her, yet at the same time she did. She wanted to be prepared for the damage she was going to get. Beth didn't say anything else after that. She definitely didn't want to provoke the harsh-looking man. She was also worried that her voice would shake, giving away her fear.

Joe came up to her and jammed his foot into her waist again. Beth groaned as her back slid sideways against the wall and she lied on her side, holding her stomach. She felt another blow against her back and her spine instinctively arched as she tried to also reach for her back.

Joe stepped on her hand then, and Beth bit her bottom lip to hold in her cry. She drew blood. Black spots dotted her vision when a heavy foot slammed into her back again and she heard a chuckle. This time, Beth didn't hold back her scream as the sharp sound flew from her throat. The last thing she heard before passing out was, "Come on in, boys."

_"Daryl!" Beth shrieked from inside the car. "Please let me go," she sobbed to the man in the driver's seat. "Shut up," he replied. The sedative in her arm was starting to go quickly into effect as Daryl ran up to the middle of the road, inspecting the bag Beth had dropped. "Daryl." Her voice was barely above a whisper now as he spotted the car driving off. Beth slumped down in the seat, now unconscious._

_Daryl took off down the road in the direction of the car, intent on getting Beth back in his grasp. "Beth!" He yelled, desperately chasing the fast vehicle. The man kept running and saying her name, even when his legs screamed of exhaustion and his throat ached with pain. The car disappeared in front of him long ago, yet he ran and ran down the street as fast as he could._

_Beth was like Daryl's light at the end of the dark and scary tunnel, and he wasn't letting her go without a fight. When Daryl came to a crossroads, he sighed. He was soaking in sweat and his shaggy hair brushed against face with each agonizing step he took. He had ran and traveled all night in an attempt to reach Beth and save her, but now he was stuck._

_Daryl couldn't see any tire marks on either roads; too many leaves were scattered across the ground from. He sat down not so gracefully on the road with his legs crossed and his crossbow next to him, putting his head in his hands. He was still panting for breath and his chest and lungs hurt from exhaustion. _

_He silently cursed himself over and over again for putting his guard down back at the funeral home. He knew that everyone had to be careful every second in this new and dangerous world, but he had forgotten his surroundings completely in that moment with Beth. She'd convinced him that there were still good people in this world. _

_Daryl told himself that he shouldn't have automatically assumed that it was the dog at the door, coming back again. That almost got the two killed. One of them got kidnapped. Why, though, Daryl thought. Why couldn't they have just taken me and left the girl alone? _

_His thoughts were quickly interrupted when he heard a sound come from behind him. Daryl quickly swiped his crossbow up off of the ground and swung it at the figure behind him. He heard the sound of the weapon hitting flesh and someone falling to the ground. He heard many guns cocking around him as he aimed his bow at the man in front of him, lying on the ground propped up on his elbows._

_Daryl still kept his straight aim on the man, right between his eyebrows. The figure on the ground had gray, long hair and stubble on his face. He surprisingly chuckled and stood with Daryl still watching his every move. His finger hovered right over the trigger, but was still smarter than to just pull it. He still kept his aim in the same spot with his eyes narrowed in concentration._

_The unidentified man laughed again, a sharp sound in the misty morning air. "Wow. That was one heck of a blow." Spots of blood coated his upper lip and nose as he held his hand over the areas. He inspected the red liquid on his hand when he pulled it away and looked at Daryl. _

_"A bowman. See, a doctor or a photographer could just walk up with a rifle and be able to use it, but a bowman's a bowman. Through and through." When Daryl didn't reply, Gray Hair kept talking. "Always wanted one of 'em. 'Course, without the rust and blood stains on it, but we can't help what happens in this world anymore." _

_Daryl's eyes furrowed. He wondered what this person was trying. What type of a trick he was attempting. "I'm claimin' the vest. Like 'em wings." Daryl heard behind him. It was a male's voice. He didn't bother arguing with the man. If he made one move away from Gray Hair, he was almost certain he would get a bullet through his head. _

_"Now, hold on men." The group leader spoke. He turned back to Daryl. "Now, if I were you, I wouldn't pull that trigger. Why kill yourself when you can kill others?" Daryl wanted to scoff at that statement. But, he was disappointingly right. If Daryl tried to shoot the man, he would get lead through his skull before his could reload. He slowly lowered the crossbow. "I'm Joe." The guy in front of him said. "Daryl." He grunted back._

_Joe smiled at him. "There we go. Now, that's more like it." He clapped Daryl on the back roughly, but Daryl stayed firm on his feet, still tense and hesitant around the new people. "This is Len." Joe pointed to another man that was holding a compound bow and looked a little younger than him. He was the one who had tried to "claim" Daryl's vest. Daryl swallowed back a sneer as Joe introduced the rest of the group. _

_Daryl studied the other men as Joe named them off, studying every one of their weapons, faces, and weaknesses that he could find. After Joe had informed Daryl about the group, he added that another member, Dan, was still back at the camp keeping watch. They were heading back to it from a quick run. That explained some of the trash bags they'd had on their shoulders._

_When a bit more talking was done, Joe's group and Daryl started on the way back to the so-called safe house that Joe had mentioned._

About a day later at the warehouse, Beth was seated in a wooden chair in the corner of the dark room she was being held in. Dan was right outside the door, walking back and forth in the hallway. Beth was staring down at her lap with her hands tied behind her back, slowly drifting in and out of consciousness. When she had woken up, the other men had gone on the run hours before.

Beth suddenly thought of something. She needed to be quiet about it, though. She didn't want Dan peeking in and keeping her from getting out. She forced her eyes open for more than a few seconds and slowly stood with the chair still attached to her, ignoring the sharp pain still in her ankle. And, well, everywhere. Beth had figured that the people had done more damage to her in her slumber, but she knew that she still had her innocence.

Beth waited and waited for any sign of change outside the room, standing next to what she thought was the door. It was too dark to tell now that night time had come. After a while, she heard footsteps falter and a door open. It came from outside, from the main area. She didn't know what else was in the building; she'd never gotten the chance to.

"She still in there?" She heard Joe ask. Dan answered right away. "Yep." The metal door to the small, enclosed area suddenly opened. Beth's breath stopped short as she braced herself for the upcoming blow. She knew that there was no going back now. The girl grit her teeth as she flung her body to the side with the chair on her back as soon the metal door closed.

She felt it hit flesh and heard it crack as she grunted and fell on her side. The wooden chair broke and fell apart when it came in contact with the solid ground next to Beth. She quickly stood, leaning on her right foot. Her left foot was still hurt. "You little-" Joe said. Beth cut him off with a quick kick to the groin.

Joe groaned and bent over. She kneed him hastily in the chest and he moaned in pain before he shot out his fist in front of him, standing up straight again. It hit the girl's nose, sending her stumbling backwards. The ropes were still tight around her wrists, so there wasn't much she could do to help from falling on the ground.

She felt a warm liquid above her lip that was no doubt blood streaming from her nose. Joe slowly walked over to the struggling Beth and placed his foot roughly on her chest or keep her from getting up again. Her head had hit the concrete considerably hard. The back of her skull was throbbing and her vision was a bit blurry.

"Dan! Get in here!" Joe hollered. The chubby man ran inside, rifle in hand. Joe looked at him square in the eyes. "I thought you were watchin' her." He jerked his chin at Beth on the ground. She was having trouble breathing. Joe's heavy boot was pressed against her lungs.

Dan stammered. "I- I didn't hear nothin' inside. I checked on her a while before y'all came back." Joe suddenly slammed his bloody fist into Dan's face, who stumbled away holding his jaw. "Get the other men in here." Joe ordered. He looked down at Beth when he spoke, who was now gulping in any air that she could get. He raised his foot. "Girlie here needs to be taught a lesson."

Dan went out of the room, still holding his face in his hands, and Beth stayed where she was, enjoying the air, though it smelt of cigarettes and oil. The two left in the room stared at each other until Joe reached down and grabbed her arm to yank her off the floor. He was gripping her elbow up as hard as he could. Beth bit her lip in spite of herself when she felt it go numb.

Dan peeked his head through the doorway. "You want the new 'en, too?" A smile slowly crept up on Joe's face. "Yeah. It'll be like a... a little initiation." Dan went back out and Joe faced Beth. "This should teach ya' not to fight us." She stared down at her brown boots, so stiff she felt as if her muscles would snap.

The door opened a moment later and Joe stepped away from Beth. Her hands clenched into fists behind her as she stared down at the ground. She desperately wanted to leave this place and the brutal people that it held and that had attacked her.

The men surrounded her and Beth found herself cornered by them with the walls behind her. She lifted her head slowly as Joe stepped in front of her once again, blocking her view from the person facing her. The group leader scanned the rest of the people around him, who held many weapons in their hands.

"Our... guest tried to attack me. Tried to smash me with a chair." The wooden remains were still scattered around the corner. "That ain't right and sure as heck won't go past me. Teach her, men. Not all the way, but enough to get her to understand how things work around here." Beth's breath hitched in her throat as the guys around her deviously smiled around her. Then Joe moved to the side, revealing the person facing her.

They stood in front of each other, face to face. Beth's eyes widened and she almost gasped in surprise and possibly relief. The golf club Daryl was holding almost slipped out of his hands. His heart was pounding against his chest as the rest of the group started to circle Beth like a hawk circling its prey. Beth didn't want to be prey. And Daryl didn't want her to be, either.

"Wait." Joe spoke from the side of the room. Beth tore her eyes from Daryl's and almost cried of relief for the interruption. "Let Daryl go first." said Joe. Beth's jaw almost dropped as she looked back at Daryl again. His lips were still parted in surprise. He looked down at his metal golf club in his hands as the other men back away, obeying their group leader's command.

Beth's heart started hammering in her chest even harder than before as Daryl gripped the weapon tighter in one hand. He looked at Beth apologetically. She took a sharp intake of breath. He wanted to tell her that it was the only way he could get her out of there alive. To pretend to be one of them. It killed him to do it, but it was the only way he could keep them both safe. Daryl has that on repeat in his mind as he lifted the golf club to swing it at the terrified girl in front of him.

**A/N: Hi! Umm, thanks so much for reading this! I'm pretty excited for this story to progress. I have great plans for it! Please, review, favorite, follow this story and read my other Bethyl story, Stuck. I love hearing feedback! Thanks! **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Beth moved to the side just as the weapon came into contact with her bare arm. She yelled out and fell to the ground, clutching her forearm. Joe had taken off the ropes around her hands before all of this. Daryl dropped the golf club and stared down at her. His jaw was clenched. He was furious at the people around him for making him to that to Beth. He wanted to kneel down beside her to make sure she was alright.

She didn't look very good: her face was coated in bruises and her ankle was still pretty screwed up. This made Daryl want to punch the next group member he saw. But he just clenched his fists as tight as possible, his nails digging into his palm. Joe came up to Daryl and pat him on the back, unsuspecting. Then he looked at the rest of the men.

"You know what? Why don't we leave Daryl alone with the girl? Do what he wants." Daryl almost gagged in disgust at what he was suggesting he do to Beth. Beth felt shivers down her spine and immediate terror about what the other people may do to her. She stood and pulled her hand away as they walked out to reveal a big bruise on her forearm.

As soon as the other people fled from the room, Daryl grabbed Beth and embraced her. He felt that he could finally breathe when she hugged back tightly. "They drugged me. They drugged me and threw me in their car, then beat me." He just hugged her tighter.

After he pulled away, Beth asked him "how are we going to get out of here?" "I don't know. But I'm keeping you safe." he said. Beth suddenly screamed a throaty scream, but her facial expression didn't change. Daryl started to panic when she stopped. "What? What's wrong?" "Just making it sound like you're doing what they think you are."

Daryl felt guilt deep down in his stomach. He made a promise to himself to get them both out of there alive. "I'll be back sometime. Try to stay alive." Beth nodded and Daryl turned his back and stepped out of the room. After he left she sprawled out of the ground and pretended to be passed out, just in case Joe or somebody else came in.

When Daryl walked out, expecting heads turned toward him. He faked a small, devilish smile. "She's out cold. Probably won't be awake for hours." Then he went back to his spot on the ground. All of the other cars were "claimed," which Daryl still had trouble understanding that part of this group. He wouldn't have to.

Daryl was planning on getting himself and Beth out of this place and away from these people as soon as possible, when he could. His plan was to fit in with the group and pretend to be one of them, then when the time came, he would leave with Beth.

A small part of him deep down, though, wondered about other possibilities. Bad ones. Like, what if they killed Beth when he was asleep, and he would be all alone in this world again? Or, what if they figured out what was going on and decided to murder them both.

Shivers went down his spine as he thought of these things. In this situation, he just hoped for the best. He thought of a plan. In the middle of the night, when everyone was asleep, he would sneak in the room, grab Beth, and run. Run far away.

Everybody was still awake and there was already a flaw in Daryl's plan. Thankfully, the group had left Beth alone for the rest of the day, but someone was always on watch. Daryl cursed inside his head when Joe had asked Len to stay in front of the door for the night.

"Len, it's your turn to take watch for the girl." Joe jerked his head in the direction of the door. Daryl's head whipped around so he could look at him. Len had an annoyed expression on his face. If ya' don't wanna take watch, I can." he offered. Len looked at him and his face changed. His eyes narrowed at Daryl and a smile spread on his face. "No. No, I'll do it."

Joe nodded at him. "Alright." then he turned towards the rest of the warehouse where everyone was scattered around. " Time to turn in, men." they agreed. It had already been dark for a few hours and the only light to illuminate the place was the occasional lantern that some of them had individually.

They turned out the light and Daryl lied his head on this trash bag, basically blind in the warehouse. Another flaw. Nobody said anything else. Everything was quiet until somebody started to snore. Then another person. Daryl remembered how it was so much quieter at the prison, where everyone had their own space and sleeping areas. He also remembered how it wasn't very quiet when a hole was blown in the wall from a tank. The Governor.

Back in the other room, Beth was pacing as best as she could with her foot lagging behind her every step that she took. It was pitch black inside, but she had the steps memorized that she took before she ran into the wall. After many rounds of pacing, her ankle was throbbing. She gave herself a reason to stop when the door started to open.

Beth quickly dropped to the side of the room against the wall. She didn't want to be cornered, yet she didn't want to be out in the open. Heavy boots stepped in the room and the footsteps were very audible. They faltered a few times and she knew it wasn't Daryl.

"Eh, girlie?" a voice slurred. She recognized the voice right away. Len. The steps abruptly stopped and Beth was holding her breath at this point. "I know where you are, Girlie?" He was right next to her, now. His breath smelled of alcohol. He suddenly grabbed her arm and gripped it as tight as he could then hauled her up off of the ground. He shoved a gag into her mouth and spun her around to face him. She still had her handcuffs off, though.

When he tried to slap her, she grabbed his hand and twisted it back. She remembered when her dad had tried to teach her self defense once by making her go to a class, and she always lost the fight. This one she was determined to win this one. He gave a small yell and Beth took the gag out of her mouth and kneed Len in the chest, like she had with Joe.

He leaned over and she kicked him backwards so that he would fall over. Another person came running up to the door, but Beth couldn't make out who it was. "Beth?" it whispered. Daryl. Beth sighed in relief, then was grabbed from behind. Cold metal went up against her throat, cutting off her airway. It was a knife. "Come one step closer and this blade goes right through yer little friend's throat."

**A/N: Hello people of Earth! I'm really excited for this story, and HOLY CRAP WE GOT 20 FOLLOWS ON THE FIRST CHAP! AND 15 FAVES! THAT IS INSANE! Thank you SO, SO much to anybody that likes this story or favorite it or followed it or reviewed it! THANK YOU SO MUCH! For the 20 follows that we got, I'm dedicating this chapter to everyone that favorite, followed, and reviewed this story! Thx for reading! New chap on Sunday or Monday, probably.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: READ OTHER A/N AT BOTTOM! VERY IMPORTANT!**

Warning: Gore and violence.

Chapter 3

Daryl slowly raised his hands. He could hear Beth's labored breathing and wanted to leap over them and grab Beth. But he wanted to get her out of there alive. If he tried anything stupid, it would surely cost them Beth's life. And possibly his. "Don't you move a single muscle, or your girl is gonna get it. Yeah, I know." Len said. His mouth was right by Beth ear and she felt shivers go down her spine from the hot breath on her cheek.

"You just stepped into a horrible situation, Daryl. See, I was gonna kill this girl, say you did it, then they would kill you so I wouldn't have to deal with ya anymore." Len said. Daryl sneered at him in the darkness. It sounded like something Len would do because he had a problem with somebody.

Daryl slowly lowered his hand to his waistband where his knife was. He quickly slipped it in his sleeve. He raised his hands back up right after. Len tightened his grip on Beth and she sharply took in a breath. Daryl's teeth gritted at the sound. "Let her go, boy," Daryl said. "No. I'm gonna kill her, kill you, then I'm gonna be in the clear with the group."

After what he said, it was Beth who did something. She slowly raised her foot in the dark and slammed it down on his shoe. When his grip loosened at the impact, she grabbed his hand and twisted it to go under it and escape his grasp. She stole the knife from him and stepped away, not sure what to do. The humane part of her wanted to let him live, but a bigger, fiercer new part of her wanted him to die or be beaten like she was.

After Beth was clearly doing nothing, Daryl stepped forward and just as Len regained his composure. He punched Daryl in the jaw when he got close enough, and Daryl staggered back a bit. Beth was clutching the handle of the knife in her hand as if it was her life support while watching the two figures tumble on the floor silently. Daryl had shut the door when he came in, so she hoped that the other men out in the main area would be ignorant to the fight.

Daryl grunted as he kicked Len in the ribs, who fell back clutching his stomach. Daryl stepped forward and punched him in the nose. Blood followed after running to his top lip. Len let out an animalistic growl and pounced at Daryl. Beth gasped as Len clutched his throat, preventing him from breathing.

It took her a second or two to realize that she had to save Daryl. She held the knife tight in her hands as she raced forward and put it in the back of Len's neck, dragging it up to his brain. She felt bile rise in her throat as blood ran along her fingers and seeped out of the man's neck. She limped away from Daryl and the now dead body. Daryl threw Len's body off of him and stared down at it in disgust. Len's dead eyes stared back at him and his lips were torn open in a silent scream.

The knife handle was still sticking out of the back of his neck and was way past the point of no return. There was no getting that out. Daryl looked back at Beth's shaking figure. He knew that they had to get out of there. Now. Before anyone saw the body and want to kill them both. Daryl felt pride in that moment for Beth. She once told him that she could take care of herself. Truth is, she could. But it's always good to have people to watch you back.

He slowly reached out and touched her arm as gently as he could. "We gotta go, Beth." Her stomach twisted in knots as she looked up at him. The last time he said that was after her dad was murdered and they were fleeing the prison. She just nodded and walked toward the door, lagging behind him due to her ankle.

As soon as Daryl opened the door, he slammed it shut again and leaned back against it. Something was trying to push it back open from the other side. Beth's eyes went wide and she looked at Daryl as he was struggling against the door. "What?" She asked. "Joe." was his strained reply. And Beth was defenseless.

Daryl slipped out his dagger and tossed it to Beth as she leaned against the door, too. He wish he'd brought his crossbow. Beth felt the door underneath her start to open more and more until the door slammed open. Joe, Dan, Lou, and everyone else ran in as Daryl stepped in front of Beth in by the wall.

As soon as Joe saw Len on the ground, he whipped his head towards Daryl with his jaw clenched and a crowbar in his hand. "Well, it seems as if you _want_ to die." he said as he started walking towards the two. Beth held her chin up over Daryl's shoulder. She wasn't afraid of this man as much. She was angry at him.

Daryl didn't't have time to argue before Joe raised the crossbow over his head. Right as it was about to strike him, Beth stepped forward. It surprisingly fell into her hand with a tough blow. She gripped it and shoved it forward into Joe. The other guys behind them were carrying Len out of the room.

Daryl stepped forward then and kicked Joe in the side. Beth felt as if her wrist was sprained because of the force, but she counted it as bearable. The rest of the guys suddenly ran in just after Joe had delivered a punch to Daryl's temple. They went to Beth first and grabbed her wrists behind her to hold her back.

The remaining two held Daryl back as Joe grabbed his crowbar again. Beth struggled against the people holding her as he hit the back of it against Daryl's gut. She didn't want to close her eyes, yet she couldn't look. "Daryl!" she yelled. Joe slammed the sharp end of the crowbar suddenly into Daryl's forearm. He yelled and fell to the ground on his knees the same time that Beth shrieked his name.

Joe leaned down at his level and twisted the weapon farther into his arm. He sharply yanked it out then, and punched Daryl in the eye, then the ribs. he backed away after that and left the room. It was clear that Daryl's fate was about the same as Beth's now. And that his plan didn't go very well.

When they were released, Daryl fell on his side. Beth rushed over to him. His arm was bleeding out now and wouldn't heal without something over it to hold in the blood. She quickly grabbed a piece of the side of Daryl shirt and ripped at it. Her shirt wasn't any better and wouldn't hold it at all. She tied the strip around Daryl's forearm and applied pressure to the gaping wound. "Sorry," she said to Daryl. She put all her body on the arm laying on the arm.

The cloth absorbed the blood as Daryl's muffled scream was heard between his gritted teeth. After a while, Beth leaned back and sighed. "It should be alright." she said. She had no clue how she was so calm about this. She sat down next to Daryl and brought her knees up to her chest. Light had began peeking in through the boarded up windows, but Beth wasn't tired. She hadn't gotten a wink of sleep.

Beth suddenly felt a light touch on her arm. She jumped in surprise and turned her head to where the touch came from. Daryl dropped his hand next to him and felt his eyelids start to drop. He was feeling awfully light headed, and his eye tremendously hurt. "I'm gettin' us outta here." he whispered to her. He tried to talk, but that was as much as he could get out. He was exhausted.

Beth smiled at him. "No, you're not. We're getting each other out." Daryl hastily fell into a deep sleep and Beth put her head on her knees. A question clouded her thoughts. _Would I really be able to do this?_

**A/N: Oh no! Now Daryl AND Beth are in deep, deep trouble. How do you guys feel about protective Daryl? And what about Beth sort of forcing herself to toughen up? Let me know in the reviews! Also, I was thinking earlier today and I wanted to ask you guys a question... Should Terminus be in this story? I'm gonna leave it up to you guys to decide! I'm counting the votes right after I publish chapter 5, so you have about a week to vote in the reviews, or PM me if you REALLY REALLY want Terminus, or you REALLY REALLY don't. If you have any questions about the story, ask me in the reviews, or PM me! I'll either respond in the A/N of the chapter or answer the PM! Please favorite, follow, and review this story because... yeah. Thanks for reading! Votes for Terminus start as soon as this chapter goes up! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It was the middle of the night when Daryl regained consciousness again. Part of his shirt was still covering the wound from the crowbar on his arm. Red liquid coated it all over. One of his eyes were swollen shut due to the black eye that Joe had given him, though he could still see alright. It wasn't as good as his normal vision, but it was fine.

Daryl looked to the side to see Beth asleep. Her knees were still drawn up to her chest, but her head was resting on her arms. Her breaths were steady, signaling that she was asleep. He slowly sat up, ignoring the ache in his stomach, and stood. It lighter in the room than it was the night before; someone had put a lantern in the corner. He didn't intend on using it as a weapon. Not at that time, at least.

He clutched his arm to his chest as he silently walked around Beth and to the windows. He craned his neck to look through the small cracks in between the boards and could barely make out a walker in the darkness. Then another. The snarls were barely audible, but they were all over the place. He went as quickly as he could to the window across the room. He spotted dozens of figures hobbling in the direction of the warehouse.

Daryl cursed under his breath as he crouched down beside Beth. He gently tried to shake her shoulder and she flinched in her sleep. "Beth. Beth, wake up." She gasped as she lifted her head up. She rapidly turned her head in every direction, then seemed to relax when she realized that it was Daryl waking her up, not Joe's group.

"What's wrong?" she asked him. She stood up next to him and the snarling got a little louder. "Walkers. A big herd of 'em." Beth's eyes widened. It was never good when there were herds like that. Her mind thought back to the farm. Her old home, ruined by those monsters. "Well, what are we gonna do?" Daryl shrugged. "I don't know." The snarls were now hard to ignore.

Beth went over to the door and her ankle automatically gave out under her. She let out a strangled scream as she hit the concrete. Daryl quickly rushed to her side and pulled off her shoe and sock to look at her ankle. It looked worse than ever. It was purple and swollen and undoubtedly dangerous to walk on. That just made the situation a whole lot less complicated.

A bang on the window was heard. The two looked up and heard another bang. It was from the window. "The must have heard your scream." Daryl explained. There was a bigger gap in between the boards on the window the walker was at, so they could clearly see them. It didn't help that the lantern was still on, attracting more attention. The light leaked through the window and could easily be seen from outside.

Daryl cursed again when another pair of fists starting pounding on the window. Yelling was suddenly heard from outside the room. There was lots of moving around and shouting. Daryl helped Beth up off of the ground, putting an arm around her waist and pulling her arm around his shoulders. The duo made their way to the door and jiggled the doorknob. Unfortunately, it was locked. And it certainly didn't help that more banging was heard. The window was starting to crack.

They were stuck. They couldn't escape from the windows: they were boarded up and walkers were surrounding them. And the door was locked. Another crack was heard from the end of the room. The window collapsed into shattered pieces of glass. Beth's eyes widened as they started banging on the wooden boards.

Desperately, Daryl kicked the door. He and Beth almost flew back from the force of it. It clearly wasn't going to open with just a kick. It was a metal door. The door suddenly opened and Beth and Daryl stepped back Joe held his shotgun in his hands. "Come on," he said. Beth was surprised. Daryl, too. Was Joe… helping them? No.

"Y'all are gonna be bait so my group can get outta' here." Panic arose in Beth. This was the worst way possible to die in this world. That was how Otis went. Shane shot him in the leg and left him there while the other walkers _fed _off him. She didn't want to be Otis. Neither did Daryl. "No. We're gettin' outta' here." Joe stepped forward. "Listen, boy." He had to shout over the highly audible growls and snarls. "You two are still the prisoners. Therefore, we get to do what we want with ya'."

Beth's jaw clenched. "No, ya' don't. It ain't like that anymore." She said. Despite himself, Daryl was a little proud of her. But, they were in a tight situation. Nobody had time for anything like that. Joe's fist came flying from his side and connected with Beth's cheek. She gasped and fell against Daryl. He held her up before she could fall, then he pulled her to her feet.

Then he attacked. He gently and hastily let Beth go, then practically dove at Joe. The door had closed behind him, so no one could come in and save him. His knuckles went right into Joe's ribs. Beth limped to the side as Joe struck back. He threw Daryl to the ground and straddled him while delivering many other blows to his face.

"Daryl!" Beth screamed. They had to get going soon. More windows were being damaged and the herd wasn't even close to passing through yet. It was only the beginning. Daryl had reached his hands up and grabbed Joe's throat. He flipped them and squeezed Joe's throat with all of the strength that he had in him.

Joe's face was quickly turning purple. He had no air to breathe in. His hands clawed at Daryl's arms uselessly as he tried to get free. Beth had to turn away. She knew this was what they had to do, but that didn't mean she doesn't hate doing it. After a few more seconds, Joe stopped moving. Daryl was still grabbing his neck. Beth hobbled over to him and grabbed his good arm.

"Daryl. Daryl, come on! We have to go!" she yelled. Daryl seemed to relax under her touch. He slowly removed his hands from Joe, who was now dead. Like Len. He stood, still looking down at the body in disgust. He tore his eyes away from the sight and wrapped an arm around Beth's waist, carrying half of her weight. They would be moving a whole lot slower if he didn't help.

Beth reached out to the doorknob to discover that it was unlocked. Joe didn't lock it when he came out. She slowly pulled the door open and craned her neck to see what was happening. The rest of the group was in a circle with their voices overlapping each other. They were all panicked. And oblivious to the fact that their leader was just killed.

Beth and Daryl quickly exited the room and hid behind one of the cars, doing their best to crouch and stay together. Daryl spotted his crossbow and dagger across the room lying on a shelf. He signaled to Beth where it was and she nodded. They silently stood and made their way across the room. When Beth's foot hit the side of a car, she winced and whimpered through her tight lips.

The group thankfully didn't notice. The two continued their way to the weapons on the wall. Walker's fists started pounding on the wooden door at the front of the room. It didn't seem to make sense to Beth that there was a metal door separating the two rooms, but a wooden door as the front one.

As soon as Daryl reached the shelf on the wall, he snatched his crossbow and dagger. He automatically loaded a bolt in the bow and gave Beth the knife. She gripped it tightly in her hands. Daryl took aim at Dan. Right after he lifted his crossbow, someone noticed. Daryl had never learned his name, yet he always seemed unbelievably loyal to Joe.

He pointed out Daryl and Beth as soon as he saw them. "Hey! You!" This time, it was Beth to give out a vulgar curse. Daryl pulled the trigger before ducking behind a car with Beth. The bolt landed right in Dan's skull.

The other men also went behind cars and held their rifles to the chests. One shot fired before the sound was overpowered by the front door slamming on the cement ground. They were _really _stuck, now.

**A/N: Hey guys! So, how do you think Beth/Daryl are going to get out of this situation?! I know! But, I'm not telling you! You'll have to read the next update! Please favorite, follow, and review this story! Feel free to give me your feedback! I still have the poll up for whether Terminus is going to be in the story or not! So far, it's not! Thanks for reading! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Daryl grabbed onto Beth tighter as she gripped her knife close to her chest. The walkers flooded into the room, and the group shot many bullets at them, but it just attracted even more. Daryl also took down some with his bolts, and Beth only stabbed some in the eye or skull if they got too close.**

**One by one Joe's group dropped. They got bit or eaten. Daryl and Beth were at the back of the room, therefore they didn't have as many to deal with. They'd found a loose board on one of the windows and tried to pry it off while Beth killed the unoccupied walkers that spotted them and Daryl worked on the window. They had to get out of there now.**

**Beth suddenly had a thought that she was surprised she didn't have before. Without breaking her attention on the scene in front of her, she tilted her head a bit towards Daryl. "How are we going to get out of the herd without getting killed?" While working, Daryl hadn't thought about it.**

**He'd finally gotten the board off when she asked him that, and froze in his spot. He thought of the answer in a heartbeat as Beth stepped forward and took out another walker. She grunted as she yanked the knife out. The walker fell to the ground at their feet. "We cover ourselves in their guts.**

**Beth turned around to face him then. "What?" she demanded. Daryl turned back to the window to inspect it. "Would that actually work?" Beth voiced. "Yeah," Daryl replied. "Has before." There was just enough room for them to squeeze through the window and get outside.**

**Surprisingly, not very many walkers came in. And if they did, they went right to the dead men lying on the ground, already being devoured. There were so many other dead walkers around Daryl and Beth that the things couldn't recognize the scent of fresh flesh.**

**Daryl took the dagger from Beth and kneeled down by a walker. He had dark skin and a polo on, as if he were going to work the day that he died. Daryl used all his strength to tear open the stomach of the dead body. Blood flowed out and Beth started to feel bile rise up in her throat.**

**The late man's intestines could be clearly seen inside of his gut. Beth covered her mouth with her hand and turned away. Daryl reluctantly reached inside of the body and came out with his hands extremely bloody. He came up behind Beth and she shivered when he started to rub the dark blood over the back of her polo.**

**When Beth was completely covered, she threw up on the ground beside a different walker. Daryl ignored it and started to spread the horrendous liquid on himself. When they were both good, Daryl handed Beth the knife back. The stepped around the car and towards the other walkers go test it. Daryl's theory was successful.**

**The walkers completely ignored them as they made their way to the doorway. Beth had found a pistol lying on the ground next to Dan's lifeless body. He was one of Joe's group. She didn't bother sparing one glance at him as she snatched the silver pistol up off of the ground while Daryl snatched his bolts back out of the dead walkers' heads. She went back to Daryl's side and he helped her walk out of the door and onto the train tracks.**

**They blended in as best as they could. They smelled of a dead carcass, which was all over them. They would need to find new clothes after they got out of the herd, but they would have to worry about that later. Daryl's arm was around Beth's waist and her arm was around his shoulders when they walked. Beth's ankle was a lot worse than it was at the mortuary.**

**They easily fit in with the other stragglers. When a walker bumped either of them, they got extremely tense, the walker would look back at them with its yellow teeth and ripped-out flesh. Then it would turn away and the two would relax a bit.**

**Beth was close to shivering in fear. Or just the cold. It was still close to freezing to both of them, even covered in blood. When they came to the train tracks, the walkers all went right. Daryl and Beth went left, where some lone ones also turned. They wanted to get as far away from this herd or any other walkers as they could get.**

**None of the monsters noticed when they split paths. A few even turned left, too. They still kept walking left, never looking back. If they made any other movement except for walking, they would surely be spotted by the other walkers.**

**Walkers were still flooding out from the forest, but most of them went right. When Beth heard thunder in the distance, she cursed in her head and just gripped the pistol tighter in her hand. Daryl sensed her unease. "What is it," he whispered in her ear under his breath. "Storm's coming." was her reply. A second later, as if on cue, thunder was heard again. Lightning came almost right after it.**

**More walkers past them and the thunder got closer and closer. Daryl actually cursed when he felt a raindrop on his cheek. Beth clicked turned off the safety on the pistol in her hand. She wished she had check how many bullets were in it after she'd picked it up, but there was no time.**

**The rain started to fall quicker and harder. Beth felt a bit better that all of the disgusting and revolting guts were going off of them, but the terror of being found and eaten overshadowed it. Walkers started looking at them when they walked past, as suspicious as they could be.**

**When one walker passed them, it turned towards Beth and grabbed her shoulder. She removed her arm from Daryl's shoulders and whipped her knife out before its jaw could lock onto her. She yanked it out and it fell to the ground. The kill immediately got the attention of other walkers. They turned their heads towards the two and started snarling and stumbling towards them.**

**Daryl quickly thought of an idea as Beth shoved her knife into another walker's skull. He handed Beth his crossbow and instructed her to get on his back, like at the cemetery. Beth did it reluctantly, but quickly. Daryl felt pain automatically, but he bit it back and took off in a run.**

**Beth found out that he'd given her the crossbow to shoot at them, but she used the gun first. She had had lessons with the crossbow from Daryl, but she still wasn't as accurate with her shots as he was. She strapped the weapon on her back and pulled her wet bangs away from her face.**

**The first walker that came out of the woods went for Daryl. He not-so-easily dodged it just as Beth was about to shoot. The next one wasn't so easy. It came out of the side of the woods. Beth missed it and got its jaw, sending Daryl and Beth both on their side of the forest floor due to the strong kickback of the gun. **

**A/N: Sorry for the really sucky ending on this chap AND that I didn't upload yesterday. I woke up really late and stuff, so I figured that I would just do it today. And I did! Thinking of updating Walking On Hot Coals for the first time in FOREVER, also. Maybe Adjusting, too. Guys... I saw The Fault In Our Stars last night at the premiere... IT WAS AMAZING! See, I had read the book about a year before I figured out that it was going to be a movie so I was really excited when I learned that it was becoming a movie. Anyway, it was just AMAZING! I saw it with a friend and we were laughing and crying a lot and... *sigh*. I HIGHLY recommend reading it or seeing it. Thanks so much for reading! Please favorite, follow, and review this story because I have LOTS AND LOTS of things planned for it. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Beth yelled out when she slammed on the ground. Her ankle was also hit. The crossbow was right next to her and her pistol was nowhere to be found. She stood as quick as she could with her ankle. When she looked ahead of her, Daryl was underneath a walker obviously trying to kill him. She aimed and shot a bolt at it without hesitating.

The arrow landed right in its skull. Daryl yanked the arrow out and threw it off of him to the side. He ran to Beth and gave her the bolt. She reloaded it, then got back on his back. Right before she did, though, Daryl bent down to pick up the pistol lying on the ground. He swiftly handed it to the blonde and pushed her back on his back, then broke out into a run again.

More walkers were surrounding them due to the stop that they had to make. Daryl weaved his way over the train tracks and through walkers as he supported Beth on his back. She didn't have to shoot much; Daryl dodged most of the walkers easily

When they finally came to a small cabin, they ran straight for it. Daryl knew that it wasn't very smart to go there, but he was starting to lose his strength. He ran up to the front porch with snarling and growling still surrounding the two.

He swung open the door without thinking, and there was thankfully nothing but silence behind the door for them. He put Beth on her feet as soon as they got inside and dragged a couch from the living room up against the door. It was tattered and broken, so it wouldn't hold very long.

Beth took advantage of the shortened time to check the barrel of the gun. There was still some more rounds left, which could last them a while if they were careful But if they had to fight off all of these walkers, they wouldn't have nearly a chance.

Beth hobbled over to the kitchen, hoping to find some supplies that she could stuff in her dirty pockets. She smiled when she found a Beretta lying on the counter. It was fully loaded. While that made her suspicious, she picked it up anyway and shoved the silver pistol in the waistband of her jeans.

"Beth!" Daryl yelled from the other room. She shoved the barrel back into the gun and limped to the front door where Daryl was. "There's a back door through the kitchen that we can go out." She yelled through the noise. Daryl nodded and stepped around the couch to follow her to the door in the kitchen.

After they'd found it, Beth gave Daryl the pistol, just in case, and slung the crossbow over her shoulder which clutching the Beretta to her chest, holding it tightly in her hands. She jumped on his back and with a quick deep breath, Daryl swung open the back door and made a run for the forest behind the house.

Not many walkers were back behind the house, so they went right past the very few that were there. Behind them, the banging on the front door continued until they couldn't hear it anymore. After a few more minutes of Daryl running and Beth watching out for walkers, they came across another house.

Daryl set Beth on her feet when they came up to the wire fences. He wrapped his arm around her waist to support her weight as they both took in the scene in front of them. Burned walkers lay in front of it as if a massacre happened there. Beyond the fence was the house. Daryl and Beth moved around the walkers and squeezed through the small opening in the fence. In the front yard was three graves. Two looked recent. It made Daryl wonder if anyone was inside. Beth, too.

Beth knocked on the door when they came up to it and they both looked through the dirty window. When nothing walked out or in front of the door, they jiggled the doorknob. It was unlocked.

They hesitantly opened the door and banged on it again. Beth held up her pistol and Daryl had taken his crossbow back and used it with one hand. When nothing came out at them, they moved to the first room on the right.

It was a living room. A fireplace was there, a small table, furniture… everything. Almost everything. The windows were covered with country-style curtains. Someone must have fled this place right after, Beth thought to herself.

Daryl and Beth cleared the rest of the rooms in the place before venturing back to the living room. They were dragging a chair against the door when Beth felt the dizziness. She didn't mention it to Daryl as the chair slammed against the front door.

She gasped for breath and fell to the ground, suddenly sweating. Daryl rushed over to her side and lifted her face up to look at him. "What is it, Beth?" Her face was pale and her bangs were sticking to her forehead. She shook her head. "I don't know."

Daryl picked her up in his arms and carried her to the couch, lying her down on top of it. When she coughed, it rang out in the whole house.

He gently laid a hand across her forehead. "You're burnin' up, Beth." She coughed again, turning her head to the side. Daryl was completely at a loss. He had no clue what to do. He'd already looked for medicine or supplies when they were clearing the house and he came up short. Everything was already raided.

Beth felt her eyelids get heavy. "Daryl." "Hmm." He looked back at her. "I wanna sleep," she said. Her voice was barely above a whisper. Daryl nodded. "Alright. Go to sleep. I'll keep watch and wake you up in about an hour," Daryl responded, but Beth was already in a deep slumber.

"Thinking of stayin' here for a while, anyway," Daryl muttered to himself.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Beth got more and more sick as the day went on. Daryl's worry constantly grew with each cough she let out. There was a well outside the house that Daryl always went to to get some water for the girl to cool her off. At least the water was cold due to the cold front that they were getting. The first time that he went back inside after getting water, Beth was on the floor on her hands on knees with vomit on her cheeks and on the floor in front of her.

Daryl swore, sat down the water, and rushed to her side. He pulled back her loose strands of hair that weren't already stuck to her face as bile still went out of her system. When she was done, it took all of her strength to keep herself up on her limbs and not collapse into her own throw-up. Instead, she rolled on her side, lying on her back. Daryl grabbed a washcloth from one of the closets and dipped it in the water, then wiped off the gross substance from her face.

"What happened?" Daryl asked, helping Beth up off of the ground. She gave a weak, half-hearted laugh. "What do ya' think?" A hint of a smile showed on her lips, despite the circumstances. Beth winced and grunted as she sat up on the couch. She took the wet napkin that was slowly falling apart from Daryl's hands and started to fix herself up.

The sun was setting as Daryl turned back to get the water and close the back door. Beth covered the puke with a tablecloth and lied back on the couch, passing out as soon as her head came into contact with the pillow. Daryl went over to her after bringing the water and and put a hand on her forehead. He flinched. Her face had blotchy, red spots on it and her forehead was practically on fire.

Daryl sat against the front of the couch when the sun was completely down, staring at the flame burning in the fireplace. Beth was completely restless. Daryl would have to wake her up almost every hour to stop her writhing and sometimes screaming in her sleep. He'd hoped that her illness was just the flu, but unfortunately, he knew he wasn't that lucky.

When morning came, Daryl had gotten barely any sleep. He kept involuntarily dozing off, then Beth would wake him up in her sleep. She was still asleep when Daryl got up off of the carpet, stretching his limbs. He held the back of his hand up against her forehead. It cooled off a bit, but it was still burning up. So were her cheeks.

A bang suddenly sounded on the front door. Beth stirred a bit in her sleep and Daryl's head whipped in the direction of the noise. Another bang. He grabbed his crossbow from beside the couch and knelt down to wake Beth. "Beth. Beth, come on. We gotta go." Daryl didn't want to know what- or who- was at the door. He just wanted to grab Beth and get out of there.

Beth slowly woke and opened her eyes when there was another loud bang at the door. Her eyes widened and her hand instinctively went to the Beretta in her thigh holster. "What's going on?" Her face was still pale and her hair stuck to her forehead. _BANG._

Daryl quickly reloaded his crossbow and helped Beth up just as a crack was heard from the door. Beth slips out her gun as Daryl helps her stand. She wraps an arm around his shoulder and he snakes an arm around her waist to help her walk. Her ankle is getting slightly better, but it's still nowhere near being able to walk correctly.

Daryl and Beth raced to the back door and swung it open just as the front one slammed open. The chair got pushed through the entryway. The worse thing was that on the other side of the door, two men stood there with machine guns. The four pointed the weapons at each other without moving. It was like a quartet of threats.

Heavy footsteps could be heard behind them. "Men. Guns down." The two men automatically obeyed, putting their AK47s next to them at their side. A hand landed on Beth's shoulder and spun her around, breaking her hold from Daryl. She fell to the ground as her ankle gave out underneath her. Daryl turned around to face their attacker as Beth slowly stood. "What the-" "Now, we're not gonna hurt you if you don't hurt us. Put the weapons down."

The man that stood in front of them had darker skin. Slung across his back was a katana. Michonne's katana. Beth's eyes widened as Daryl helped her stand again.

Daryl's heart sunk into his stomach when he spotted the other men behind the main one. They were outnumbered. "I'm gonna need you to surrender your weapons and come with us."

**A/N: Hey guys! I have some good news! I will be able to update more often now because I got a new computer! Yay! Also, I just want to point out of MamaDCB that Daryl may not have done that in the show, but he's growin on Beth a lot more now because they have spent more time together. :) Thanks for reading! And also, this might be a lot to ask, but I was wondering if your guys could give a bit more in depth reviews so I know exactly what you guys think of the story/chapter! That would be awesome! You DEFINITELY don't have to, but it would be really nice if you could. THANKS FOR READING! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Daryl reluctantly handed over his crossbow and pistol and Beth gave away her gun as two barrels pressed into the small of their back. Beth reached back to dispose of her pocket knife, but Daryl grabbed her wrist and wrapped it around his shoulder for a cover-up and to help her walk.

The two men guided them out the front door. Beth still felt very faint from her sickness and felt as if she were about to collapse, but she leaned most of her weight onto Daryl, swallowing back the fear and weakness.

The group stayed to the train tracks when they arrived on them. Beth was getting more lightheaded every second, but she toughed it out. "Where do you think they're taking us?" Beth whispered to Daryl. "Dunno." His voice was a bit strained, so Beth lightened up a bit.

Dark spots dotted her vision and she stumbled every few steps, but she was determined to carry on. She didn't want to leave Daryl here to defend for her and himself.

They walked until night fell, then camped out beside the tracks. As soon as they stopped, Beth felt bile rise up in her throat again. She leaned on her knees as any food she had left in her system came up. Daryl held back her hair again as the soldiers around them backed up a bit, but still kept the two at gunpoint.

When she was done, she wiped off her mouth and unconsciously rested her head against Daryl's shoulder. The main guy stepped up next to them. "What's wrong with her?" He asked Daryl. "She's sick. Ain't it obvious?" Daryl snapped at him. The man sneered at Daryl and held out his hand.

"I don't think we've properly met yet. My name's Ben." Daryl didn't say anything back to him, nor did he shake his hand. He just stayed sitting down by the fire with Beth's head on his shoulder.

Ben smiled at them, but it wasn't suddenly jerked his hand out, knocking Beth to the side and grabbed Daryl's throat. One of the soldiers grabbed Beth and knocked her against his chest, holding her own pistol up to her temple. Daryl didn't resist. He would rather just keep quiet then put Beth in danger.

"What's is your name?" Ben growled an inch from Daryl's face. He loosened his grip a bit to let Daryl speak. "Daryl. That's Beth." Ben gave him another one of his infamous smiles and jerked him to the side, backing away. The soldier threw Beth to the ground on her hands and knees and Daryl went to go help her up almost immediately.

That night, Daryl and Beth barely got any sleep. Daryl slept more than the night before, but he was still exhausted in the morning. Beth was a bit less restless, but she still woke herself up very often on accident.

She started shivering in her sleep. When she woke up in the middle of the night, Daryl's arm was around her waist. She convinced herself that it was for the cold, but she wasn't so sure herself. A hint of a smile lingered on her lips before she fell back asleep, not as cold as she was at first.

When one of the soldiers woke them up early at dawn, Beth's back was pressed tightly against Daryl's chest, soaking up the warmth. The soldier nudged Beth harshly with his foot and Beth stirred. Her eyes widened as she sat up, waking Daryl up in the process.

His head whipped around a few times before he spotted her, then he seemed to relax when his eyes landed on her. "Hey! Gabe!" Ben called. The man who had woken them up drew his attention to Ben, who waved him over. Beth and Daryl glanced uneasily at each other as another man replaced Gabe's spot in watching them.

"What's goin' on?" Daryl asked, taking his stance next to Beth. The soldier didn't respond as Gabe walked back to the two hostages who were waiting very impatiently. He cleared his throat before speaking.

"We've decided to separate you two on the journey back to the camp." He pointed at Beth whose heart was racing in panic. "You will leave earlier than him." He pointed at Daryl then, who had his jaw and fists clenched. His heart was also pounding in his chest as he stepped up in front of the petite blonde next to him.

"Why?" Beth noticed that his voice had gotten a lot harsher, a side effect of when he got enraged. She lightly touched his forearm to calm him, and she felt him get a little less tense.

"Ben believes that it would be less likely for you to escape if you were individually making the journey." Beth unconsciously tightened her grip on Daryl's arm. She wanted to stay with Daryl, instead of being apart from him again.

Gabe looked over at Beth again. "I will be escorting you to the camp, along with Joseph here, in about five minutes." He jerked his head in the direction of the soldier who had been silent the whole time.

Beth's eyes widened as she looked over at Daryl. He looked as if he were about to burst out in rage. He suddenly grabbed Beth's hand and took her a few feet from the men, who were still watching them warily.

"If they try anything, yell my name. I may be close enough to come get you." Beth felt lightheaded, but she could still understand what he was saying. She didn't believe it, though. "I'm come and find you when I get to the place they're draggin' us to." He whispered the next part under his breath. "Use your knife if you have to. And use it to kill." "I'll be fine, Daryl." She wasn't sure who she was trying to convince; Daryl, or herself?

"I know you will be. Don't forget about the knife." Beth nodded, and the weapon suddenly felt ten times as heavy as it really was. A big ball formed in the back of her throat as she pictured having to use the knife. She certainly didn't want to, but something in her gut told her that she was definitely have to.

**A/N: Oh no! They're getting separated! What will they do? Will they ever meet up again? What about the rest of the group? I have really great things planned for the next chapter that I think you guys will enjoy! Again with this chapter, it would be AWESOME if somebody could maybe give me a longer review that really explains what they think of this story and what I may or may not need to improve! You TOTALLY don't have to, but it would be really cool if you could! Go ahead and check out my other stories, Stuck (ALMOST TO 100 FOLLOWS!), Walking On Hot Coals, and Angels and Demons! Please favorite, follow, and review this story because it really makes my day when I find that I have a new one of either of the three. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or something like that about ANY of my stories. THANKS FOR READING!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

When Beth left, she felt a huge surge of fear and immediately wanted to go back to Daryl. The barrel pressing against her spine was the only thing that made her stay silent and obey the orders. Daryl had to restrain himself from rushing after her and knocking out the guys "escorting" her.

A while after walking, the two men behind her started talking. They tried to whisper, but failed. Beth immediately overheard their conversation. "What do you think Ben is gonna do to 'em?" "What do ya' think, idiot? He's no doubt gonna kill 'em." Beth stumbled in her step, but not enough for them to notice.

She knew she had to get out of there if she wanted to live a bit longer. There were many complications, though. First, they had a gun and she had a pocket knife. Second, there were two of them. Third, she was still recovering from being sick, which she still wasn't completely healed from. Odds were slim when it came to surviving in the situation she was in. But she had to try.

The other men kept talking behind her, but she stopped and interrupted them, slowly turning around with her hands in the air. "I've gotta go to the bathroom," she explained. Gabe glared at her. "You can hold it." Beth's heart starting pounding loud enough that she was sure they could hear it over the chirping of crickets and birds.

"I really can't. And I don't think you want to deal with anything like _that._" Clearly getting the message, the two soldiers glanced at each other, not knowing what to do. The unnamed one sighed. "Alright. Let's go." Beth smiled inwardly, then remembered what she was about to attempt.

Gabe stayed by the train tracks as the other one followed Beth into the woods with the assault rifle. "Just hurry up," he grumbled, then turned around to look at a tree. Instead of actually going to the bathroom, Beth sneaked away and hid behind a bush a few yards away.

"Are you done?" The man asked. Beth whipped out her knife from her back pocket instead of replying. When the soldier didn't get an answer, he hesitantly looked back. When he didn't see Beth, he cursed and held up his assault rifle.

"You can't hide, girlie!" Beth shuddered in fear and horror. She was about to attempt murder. She told herself over and over again that it was him or her, but that didn't seem to ease her guilt at all.

Beth ducked even lower by the bush when the man started to walk her way. She clutched the knife tighter in her sweaty palm. Her heart was racing so hard that she could hear her pulse in her ears.

When the man walked past the bush, he didn't see Beth. She hesitated before leaping up from her position and jumping on the man's back. She grunted as she pushed her knife through his skull. It was harder than killing a walker; walker's skull were usually decayed. And this was a human being.

The man fell to the ground and Beth jumped off of his back before the dead body took her down with him. Tears were already running down her face, but she held back a sob when she saw the guy's dead eyes.

_Him or me_, she repeated over and over again in her head. _It was either him or me. _Beth took many deep breaths before leaning over and puking out whatever was left in her stomach, which was barely anything.

When she was done, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and slowly removed the assault rifle from the man's grasp, slipping her knife back in her pocket. Beth was suddenly glad that she knew how to use one of these powerful guns.

When she heard a twig snap in front of her, she automatically aimed it at the sound. Gabe stood there with his arms raised and was slowly backing away. He didn't look surprised when he saw his friend lying on the forest floor, dead.

"Aren't you supposed to kill me now?" She knew that he'd had a pistol; she saw him use it killing a walker. But Gabe didn't reach back for it. "I'm supposed to. But I'm gonna let you go."

Beth's eyes narrowed, very cautious and disbelieving. "How do I know it isn't a trap?" She asked. Now Gabe reached back. Beth clicked the safety off. "Because I'm giving you your weapons back.

Beth didn't know how she didn't notice it before. Slung across his back was Daryl's crossbow. Gabe took it off, walked forward a few steps, dropped it, then backed up again. Beth kept her eyes on him as she snatched it off the ground then slung it across her back.

Next, Gabe pulled out her Beretta, which he also dropped on the ground for Beth to get. When she picked it up, she slipped it in the empty gun holster on her thigh. "I'd like to help you." Beth almost scoffed. "Not a chance," was her reply. She didn't trust a single thing about Gabe.

Gabe nodded. "I can understand that. Now, I'm going to let you walk away. I'm gonna let you go. I'm gonna turn around and pretend that this didn't happen, and I'm not going to see you run away and escape from this mess." Slowly, Gabe did exactly what he said he would. Beth didn't hesitate to turn around and run farther into the woods, determined on getting Daryl free, too.

**A/N: Sorry for the late update! Umm... I only have like 30 seconds so please review, favorite, and follow and look at my other stories because... yeah. Tell me what you think about Gabe. Please no hate comments about how Beth was "acting out of character," and... yeah. Remember that she was really upset about it. :) THANKS FOR READING!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Decided to do something cool-ish for the future chapters (if I don't forget) in honor of 50 follows! Woohoo! Thanks guys! Anyway, this chapter's song is Survival by Eminem, then about halfway-ish is Human by Christina Perri. Happy reading! :)**

Chapter 10

Beth ran and ran, clutching her gun to her chest, until she couldn't breathe anymore She had tried to circle her way around back to the train tracks that Daryl was on, but it was hours past nighttime when she finally got back there.

It was almost pitch black outside. The moon provided very little light and it was dead silent. Beth was in the forest, after all. Her stomach grumbled and she noted to herself that she would have to go hunting with Daryl right after they'd reunited. A huge part of her knew they would, but that deep dark part of her wondered if it was just her having false hope. She hoped the latter.

After a while of walking, she saw a small light that stuck out in the dark of the night up ahead. Her fingers curled around the gun in her hand as she hesitantly took slow, cautious steps. She hid behind the van next to it, then peered over the side of it. The hair on the back of her neck were standing up as she spotted the two figure sitting very close to the fire.

She gasped as she recognized them, then covered her mouth with her dirty hand as a lump formed in her throat.

The people she saw at the fire automatically stood, alert, and reached for their weapons. "Who's there?" the man demanded. His revolver was out in clear sight as she clicked the safety off.

Beth stepped out slowly, putting her gun at her side. She was hugely smiling as Michonne and Rick turned to face her. Michonne froze as she put her weapon away and stepped forward towards Beth. Slowly, she reached out to hug her, which was very uncharacteristic of her. Happy tears were running down Beth's cheek.

She wondered if anyone else was with them. When Michonne pulled away, she smiled at the petite blonde. "It's really good to have you back." Rick stepped forward and also embraced Beth in a small hug, then backed away almost immediately.

"Are you with anyone else?" Beth knew what he really meant. He meant, is anybody else alive from the prison. Beth sighed as she remembered her task at hand, but she hadn't really forgotten.

"I'm looking for Daryl. We were together and ran into this other group…" Beth explained the situation, and Michonne and Rick were quick to agree to help look for the man, also wanting to see him again.

"Are you two with anyone else?" Beth had hoped that Judith was there. She missed her so much. "Carl's asleep in the van," Michonne answered. Beth nodded, then grew sad as she realized that Judith might not be alive. She couldn't help but blurt out the question, anyway.

"And Judith…" She trailed off when Rick's face contorted into sadness and somber, then lowered her head to look at her feet, ashamed at the obvious.

They would probably never see her again. If it was hard for her, she couldn't imagine how tough it was for Rick. "Have y'all ran into Maggie?" Beth asked, filling the silence once again. Michonne shook her head. "No. We haven't seen anyone else but you so far."

After five more minutes of more friendly exchanging and catching up, Beth stood. "I'm gonna keep looking for Daryl." _Without or with you, _she silently added. The other two across from her stood. "We're coming." Beth smiled at her friends and fellow survivors.

Rick went around the van to wake Carl up as Beth handed the machine gun to Michonne. It certainly wasn't her choice of weapon; it was too big in her hands and she had a hard time with the kickback, as little as it was. Instead, she dug out the little crossbow training she had had from the back of her mind and reloaded the bow, using that.

Carl had been almost ecstatic when he saw Beth. He used to have a crush on her. Though that faded, they were still great friends. After a few exchanging glances, the Michonne put the fire out and they started their journey forward, the way Beth knew Daryl had gone. Footprints could be seen in the dirt next to the tracks. She was pleased when she found that she also remembered some of the tracking lessons Daryl had given her. She _needed_ to find him.

As Rick explained everything that the other three had been through after the prison had fallen, Beth couldn't help but find herself not listening to a word he was saying. She pretended to listen as her mind drifted back to other things on her mind at the moment.

Her and Daryl were separated. She had just killed a man. She'd left that out when she told the others her and Daryl's journey so far. Every once in a while, they had to stop for a minute or so due to Beth's throbbing ankle. It was getting better over time, but she couldn't walk on it for long or put too much pressure on it, which was expected.

The reunited group never ran into any walkers, animals, or people by the time the sun rose. Beth felt exhaustion all over her body, but that kept her motivated. As soon as she got Daryl out of the situation they were currently in, she could sleep longer that she ever had. Or so she hoped.

**She still had no clue if they would ever find him or the place that the military group had explained, but she prayed and hoped that Daryl would be alive and well when they found him, though that small, evil part deep down still wondered if he was. All Beth could do was hope for the best, yet hope was never on her side in this world. **

**A/N: Yes, I know. I'm horrible at updating. I'm SO SORRY for the delay! I will probably be posting a new Stuck chapter also tonight or tomorrow if you're also following that story! Anyway, please favorite, follow, and review this story because it means a lot to me and puts a smile on my face all day! Escpecially the reviews! Where do you think Daryl is? How do you feel about Beth seeing Rick and Michonne? Are you looking forward to Beth and Daryl's reunion? I know I am! I'll give you a little spoiler: It's gonna be decently romantic! Please follow my other stories, Stuck, Walking On Hot Coals, and Angels and Demons because they're pretty cool. Stuck just hit 100 follows a week or two ago (WHICH IS AWESOME!) so I'm assuming it's AT LEAST halfway decent... THANKS FOR READING! :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Sorry that this was all screwed up, but I fixed it! Yay! Thanks to jazznsmoke for editing this chapter for me! HAPPY READING!**

Chapter 11

Daryl had men all around him as he unwillingly walked to the destination ahead. His hands were tied behind his back tightly with ropes. The only thing pushing him forward- literally- was the barrel of a gun pressing into his spine. And the fact that Beth was there, too. He had to get them both out.

Many times during the trip, his thoughts had wandered back to the petite blonde. Was she alright? Have they hurt her? As the sun started to go down, Ben announced that they were close to camp. "Almost there, guys." Then he turned back around and faced the road ahead of them.

Meanwhile, on a completely different path, was Beth, Carl, Rick, and Michonne. Beth was almost completely recovered, besides the occasional coughing fit that she would get.

She was very grateful that she had found her friends along the way, and that they had decided to come with her to find Daryl. She didn't think that she would be able to get Daryl and herself out of there without them, She didn't even know what there was. She just kept moving forward. knowing that Daryl would be somewhere near.

After walking a long way, it was a little after sundown. Rick noticed something ahead and he pointed ahead of himself to show Beth, who was looking down at her shoes with Daryl's crossbow slung across her back.

"Hey, Beth?" Her head snapped up to look at him.

"Yeah?"

"Is that the place that you're looking for?" he questioned her. Beth had to squint her eyes to see ahead.

Two extremely tall towers stood out ahead of them. In between them was a wooden barricade that would no doubt be hard to get over. The four couldn't see anything past that, but at least there was something.

Beth's gut told her that this was the place, but she still had no plan. She didn't even know if Daryl was there yet. Or if he was even alive. What if he had escaped like Beth, and ran away to find her, like she had for him? She'd be putting her friends in danger by going in there.

"Beth." Rick's voice interrupted her thoughts as she turned to face him. Before he could say anything, she asked him a question.

"Are you sure you want to do this? Put your life, you son, in danger? Are you positive that you want to go in there?"

Rick and Beth held each other's gazes for a moment or two and Rick nodded. "I'm sure. You and Daryl are family." Beth sighed, then nodded.

No more words were exchanged after that. The small group made their way to the building ahead of them. As they got closer, they stepped into the woods more to cover themselves up. It was a lot harder to see, considering it was night, but Beth just put one foot in front of the other each step and they got closer.

They saw the people on guard on top of the barricade and knew that they had to find somewhere else if they wanted to get in. They circled around the place, but barricades covered the whole area. At least one man stood up on top, eyes narrowed, guarding the area around him with a weapon.

Beth cursed when she realized this, then sank back against the tree. The man guarding the back entrance suddenly turned around and jumped off the huge barricade.

Beth's eyebrows pulled together in confusion, then she took her chance to climb over the barricade with the small places she could put her feet on in between the wood of the barricades.

She landed flat on her feet on gravel when she jumped over the big piles of wood. The other members of her group landed right after her. In front of them were many houses. It automatically reminded Rick of Woodbury, but there were also other buildings in the mix along with less space and more warehouses and brick buildings.

Nobody else was outside. yet Beth and Rick were still cautious. They hid in the shadows between houses when numerous footsteps were heard coming their way. Beth sneaked a quick look out of the alley. She spotted Daryl with a large group of soldiers surrounding him.

Beth held back her gasp when she saw him, but it didn't do much. One of the expressionless soldiers looked their way, and as much as Beth tried to flatten herself against the wall, it didn't work.

"Hey!" The soldier yelled out. And everyone else looked their way. Beth pulled out her Beretta, ready to fight. Daryl looked their way and breathed out a sigh of relief when he saw Beth. His heart started beating incredibly fast when he realized that they could die just then.

Beth and the rest of the group started backing up through the alley as the other soldiers started raising their guns, too. Before she could think, Beth turned and ran from the scene. She didn't have much ammo left, and she figured that she wouldn't do much good dead.

As she took a step in front of herself to flee, a bullet hit the back of her leg below her knee. She cried out and dropped to the ground. Michonne helped her up and they turned right, out of the alley, behind the other house. Before they left, Beth raised her gun and took a shot behind herself, not wanting to see if it hit anyone.

"Beth!" She heard Daryl call out. She winced. She wanted to turn back, but couldn't. More armed men had blocked their way. They were stuck.

Weapons were pointed their way as they were forced to surrender their weapons on the ground in front of them, defenseless. Daryl was surprised and glad that his old friends were still alive, but he didn't want them in this situation. Ever.

Beth gave Daryl a questioning look, silently asking what he had gone through so far and what would happen as the other soldiers pat them down. Daryl just gave a small shake of his head that was barely visible, but it was just as effective.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: FINALLY AN UPDATE! YAY! Please read the A/N at the bottom!**

Chapter 12

Beth struggled and struggled against the men holding her back. While one man held her hands together behind her back, Beth still had her gaze locked with Daryl's. She looked at him until she felt a sharp pain in her chest. Guilt. She'd gotten her friends trapped along with them.

Beth started struggling against the men trying to keep her still. She dragged her one good heel on the dirt when they tried to get her to walk. After a while, one just sighed, and before Beth knew what was happening, she felt a poke on her lower back, then she fell unconscious.

Beth woke with a start, her head flying up off of the hard mattress she was lying on. Her forehead was covered with sweat and her bangs with stuck to her temples. She fought to get air back in her lungs as she looked at her surroundings, gasping for breath.

The air smelled of the dried blood on the dark walls. Daryl was pacing around the small room. Rick was leaning up against a red, metal door that they obviously weren't going to be able to get through if it was locked. When Daryl saw Beth climb off of the mattress, he went over to her. She spoke first.

"They _sedated _me?!" Injections that put Beth to sleep had always given her nightmares, let alone the fact that she was living in one. Daryl ignored that. "Thanks for trying to save me, but I can see it didn't work out very well." She glared back at him.

"How are we gonna get outta here?" Beth asked. "Y'all are supposed to be the heros in this operation." "We were just gonna run in and get you, like you guys did with Maggie and Glenn and Woodbury…" Her voice trailed off as she thought of the past. Daryl was quick to change the subject.

"So, you were gonna wing it?" "At least we tried!" Beth yelled. The sound carried in the small room. Beth quieted down her voice. "I was worried sick about you," she told him, her voice barely above a whisper now.

"Gee, thanks." Sarcasm could be heard all in his voice. Beth glowered at him more as she started to stand, then screamed when a pain ran up her leg. Right. She'd gotten shot. Concern flooded in Daryl's emotions as he sat down with her again.

"What happened?" He asked. Beth answered through gritted teeth. "I got shot." Her breaths became deeper. Daryl cursed. Beth tried to distract herself the best that she could. "Where are Michonne and Carl?" She said, wincing. She hadn't seen them when she woke. Daryl hesitated before answering.

"They took them for questioning." Beth instantly got angrier and guiltier at the same time. She couldn't believe that she had made her friends risk their lives to come with her. Yet, she could. It was Daryl and she'd needed all the help she could've gotten.

"We have to get out of here." Beth stated. Daryl nodded next to her.

The door suddenly opened on the other side of the room. Daryl shot up off of the mattress in front of Beth, as if he was shielding her against any harm that could come through the door.

Instead, Michonne and Carl walked in. As soon as they were inside the tiny room, the door behind them slammed shut, interrupting the sun's rays that were flooding in.

Michonne had many scratches across her face and arms that instantly made blood drip out of the deeper ones. Carl had a bruise on his cheek, but no other harm had come to him. Rick stood and went to Carl's side, whispering words to him.

Michonne sat back against the wall, a furious look plastered on her face as she pulled her knees up to her chest. Daryl sat back down on the mattress as Beth felt guilt flood into her veins once again. Her friends were getting hurt because of her decision.

She'd basically asked them to give up their lives for her and Daryl. A single tear ran down her face. Right before Daryl turned back to Beth, she angrily wiped it away. She was done being sensitive. Living was too precious in this hell they were living in.

Before she could think, she stood, trying to get used to her broken leg. She bit her lip so hard that she tasted the metal taste that was blood. It was better, Beth decided, than crying out in agony.

Tears still streamed out of the corner of her eyes, sliding down her cheeks and dripping down her chin. Daryl looked at her in confusion for one moment, then stood at her side to help her walk.

He wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her steady. Beth contemplated throwing him off, but decided against it, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. "Thanks," she whispered. He grunted in acknowledgement.

Beth automatically remembered that this was how they walked together when she was sick. Many heads turned their way when Beth stood. "I'm sorry," she spoke. "I asked you guys to risk your lives to help me, and you did. But I'm afraid that we're gonna have to fight some more to get out. It's what we do to live. And we are going to live. Or at least you guys are. I'm gonna make sure of it."

Daryl spoke up beside her, almost whispering. "Beth, you're gettin' outta here with us. If they make you stay, I am, too." Beth just smiled up at him.

"We've gotta find a way to get that door open." Michonne stood then. "I've got an idea. It's not much, but we could give it a try." Michonne shared her idea with the group, and they immediately put it into action.

Daryl stayed on the other side of the door as the rest of the group pounded on it, filling the room with sound. Beth prayed that the idea would work. Sure enough, the door opened not much later with a soldier stepping inside. The other people backed away, or limped away, as the soldier went inside the room.

"What's going on?" His gruff voice sounded demanding. The door closed behind him as Daryl was faced by his back. With one last nod at Beth, he jumped onto the soldier's back, wrapping his arms around his neck in attempt at strangling the struggling man.

**A/N: I know, guys. I haven't updated in forever. If you're following my other stories, you would know that my birthday is the 17th (Thursday) so I'm planning and I'm also packing because I'm going on vacation on the 19th! Also, special thanks to KEVKYE and DIAMOND0 for the happy birthdays! Busy rest of the month for me! I unfortunately will not be able to update until the 30th, so I'm trying to get done as much as I can! I'm SSSOOO sorry for the wait! Thank you all for being patient and not unfollowing! You guys are all amazing! So, what did you think of this chapter? Beth is done being weak! I know that it wasn't that good of a chapter or anything, but I tried! :P Follow, favorite, and review this story! I will respond to all reviews (unless it's guest reviews because I don't really know how to respond to those...) through PMing, so go ahead and leave a little comment if you wanna! THANKS FOR READING!**


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